Arizona State House announced Monday that State Representative David Cook (R-Globe) is attempting to work with Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) to improve the Arizona-Mexico Commission (AMC) and the state’s foreign trade capabilities.
“As we continue to build on a global economy, we look at strengthening partnerships with Mexico and Arizona to better our regions for the world markets in the 4th Industrial Revolution of the 21st Century,” Cook wrote in a letter to Hobbs. “It is our common interest to further promote our close friendship with Mexico and its states and to adapt to current global paradigm shifts.”
State Representative @RepDavidCook Urges Changes to Improve the Arizona-Mexico Commission.
Read Representative Cook’s full letter 👇https://t.co/lKYuX0XBOB @AZHouseGOP #AZleg pic.twitter.com/JHPS1bAzvP
— Arizona House Republicans (@AZHouseGOP) March 13, 2023
The Arizona Sun Times reached out to the governor’s office for a response but did not hear back before publishing time.
According to Cook’s letter, the AMC currently has 16 different binational committees, which handle a variety of topics, including real estate, mining, tourism, wildlife, and culture. However, he wrote that all these committees “are too large to be able to conduct optimized binational efforts.”
Therefore, Cook (pictured above, left) suggested that Hobbs (pictured above, right) shorten the list of binational committees to just six, starting with a group focused on the supply chain. Cook explained that this committee would ensure that Arizona’s thriving industries can get the supplies they need to flourish and that Arizona can provide the same to Mexico.
Moreover, Cook’s other picks include committees on workforce development training, agriculture and water, clean energy, tourism regulation, and small/medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
“The Arizona-Mexico Commission (AMC) is a core ingredient in optimizing our relationship with Mexico,” Cook wrote. ” Reducing this number to six would allow for more quality oversight, cohesive binational participation, and adaptability to global paradigm shifts.”
Additionally, he also asked Hobbs to consider adding bipartisan legislators from the House International Trade Committee (ITC) to the AMC board, which includes State Representatives Leo Biassucci (R-Lake Havasu), Tim Dunn (R-Yuma), Melody Hernandez (D-Tempe), Mariana Sandoval (D-Goodyear), and Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton (D-Tucson). Cook also said former State Rep. Tony Rivero (R-Peoria) should be considered for a board position.
Furthermore, the AMC is currently undergoing leadership revision. In February, Hobbs axed all members of the AMC boards and committees. Josselyn Berry, Hobbs’ press secretary, told The Sun Times at the time that Hobbs was attempting to “review and make changes” to the membership, but former members were allowed to reapply. She said the process of restaffing may be completed near the end of March. Currently, the AMC website only displays a single-page message describing the commission’s mission and explaining that membership positions are open. Other pages from the commission’s site, such as committee pages, are currently inaccessible.
In his letter, Cook said that this restaffing process Hobbs’ has undertaken presents the perfect opportunity to reshape the whole commission.
As reported by The Sun Times, Cook is chairman of the House’s new ITC. Additionally, he recently led a bipartisan foreign trade expedition to Brazil to improve Arizona’s relationship with the country. Moreover, on Thursday, Cook celebrated a successful visit to the Arizona House from Carolin Gey, Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, who discussed possible future developments between the country and Arizona.
While Germany is Arizona’s sixth largest international importer, Mexico ranks number one for both imports and exports with the state. Former Arizona Governor Paul Fannin established the AMC in 1959 to ensure the two entities build a strong symbiotic partnership.
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “David Cook” by Arizona House Republicans. Photo “Katie Hobbs” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0. Background Photo “Arizona Capitol” by Pima County Public Library.
